During the visit, Cox received mission briefs, flew a local C-17 mission, met with airmen, visited the Child Development Center, met with civic and community leaders and concluded his visit with a Team McChord all call.

"This has been a fantastic opportunity for us to come and spend a little bit of time with some great airmen," said Cox. "This is our opportunity to say thank you and highlight some of the things that you do for the nation."

The capabilities Cox was referring to involve our air drop capability (both combat and humanitarian), the Prime Nuclear Airlift Force mission and Aeromedical Evacuation, just to name a few.

Cox stated that just within the last six years the Air Force's involvement in conflict and disaster relief has evolved and is constantly evolving in response to different scenarios.

"There's a lot of things going on (in the world) and I don't think it's going to slow down," said Cox.

The mission here at JBLM, according to Cox, matters more than we can comprehend.

"The combination of the capability that exists between the airmen here, the C-17s that you fly and the 35,000 soldiers at Lewis is really important," Cox said. "What you do is really important."

Currently the Air Force is the smallest it has ever been since its induction, but the demand for our capabilities is growing, according to Cox.

"The mission has to be done and that's a no fail, every single day," Cox said. "I want you to seek to be the very best at your job, because that's what we need, but have fun doing the job you get to do. Come to work with a positive attitude and don't ever forget the impact that you have."

Petzel also spent time visiting with airmen while on this visit.

"I will tell you the sense of pride that takes place here is inspiring," said Petzel. "What's most amazing is that your most junior enlisted airmen understand their strategic importance. But we need each and every one of you to understand how you tie into the mission each and every single day."

Cox and Petzel both acknowledged the strain put on the airmen as a result of Air Force manning cuts.

As the Air Force grows to meet the needs of our nation they both reiterated our roles in completing the mission.

"We're growing to where we need to be but we cannot do this, (accomplish the mission) without viewing air power as a team sport, that includes active, Guard, Reserve, civilian, and our joint brothers and sisters in arms," said Petzel. "What you do is pretty special, so be proud of that," Petzel said. "You're part of something bigger than yourself, because that's what the Air Force is."